At exactly 12.25pm, the sea of humanity that had gathered at Nyeri County governor’s offices compound broke into dance and celebration after Truphena Muthoni inscribed her name in the Guinness World records after hugging an indigenous tree for 72 hours in a stretch.

The 22-year-old environmentalist had previously set another record on February 2, this year, when she broke another record at the Michuki Memorial Park, Nairobi, when she hugged a tree for 48 hours and 22 minutes.

The only other person who has ever attempted a similar feat is Ghana’s Abdul Hakim Awal, who hugged a tree for 24 hours in Kumasi on May 23 this year.

With world record, Muthoni joins a growing list of younger generation who are fighting to reset environment and ecological systems disrupted by their parents and their forefathers that led to the current climate crisis the entire the generation is grappling with.

In Africa, indigenous flora and fauna are fast giving way to exotic species. This is the centrepiece of Muthoni’s campaign, which adds impetus to Swedish Greta Thunberg, the environmental activist that for the past decade has been the symbol of younger generation’s fight to restore ecological balance.

Like Muthoni, Greta has captured global attention with her relentless commitment to climate change. Through her speeches, particularly at COP24 and in front of the European Parliament, Greta has also challenged leaders worldwide about their inertia in the face of the climate emergency. Her fame has allowed her to meet various heads of state, as well as provoke intense debates on environmental policies.

While Greta is widely supported by many citizens and scientists in the world, she faces significant challenges. Many critics accuse her of exaggerating the severity of the climate crisis while others claim she lacks the necessary qualifications to discuss complex scientific questions. Some politicians and influential individuals have even resorted to personally discrediting her, questioning her youth and passion for activism.

In response to these personal and media attacks, Greta has maintained a discourse centred on science and established facts. On several occasions, she has emphasised that she is merely relaying information provided by experts and researchers.

She reminds the world that her autism, which she refers to as her “superpower,” allows her to focus intensely on her goal without being distracted by social pressure.

Muthoni who has now become a global celebrity, said one of the reasons for embarking on tree hugging challenge is to educate the world on the need to conserve indigenous forests, which she says are on the verge of extinction due to wanton logging.

She warns that environmental degradation has contributed a great deal to an increase in mental health challenges in many countries and therefore the need to continue fighting for their preservation.

“I am a guardian of the forest and an advocate of indigenous people. I am here in Nyeri at the office of the governor to set a new 72 hours breaking my own world record. The reason for hugging trees is therapeutical because we have many mental health issues in the world that are directly linked to environmental degradation. I am inviting everyone to go back to nature because it has a healing effect. I believe before we plant a million trees, we have a million hurting hearts that need to be nurtured,” she told the press, a few hours before she finished her challenge.

Immediately after completing the rare feat, Governor Mutahi Kahiga hailed Muthoni as the new heroine in Nyeri for achieving a rare fat that will have a ripple effect worldwide.

Dr Kahiga said accomplishing the goal of setting the new world record is no mean feat but one that requires utmost endurance and disciplined resilience.

“Our hero of the day has done it! Truphena Muthoni has successfully completed her 72-hour tree-hugging challenge at the Nyeri Governor’s Office Grounds. We are all deeply proud and profoundly moved. It is a feeling beyond simple description, a blend of awe, admiration and renewed conviction. Her determination calls on all of us to stand boldly for the causes we believe in, just as she has done with an unwavering heart,” he posted on his official Facebook page.

“Muthoni’s accomplishment is more than a world record; it is a statement. A reminder that courage does not always roar – sometimes, it simply holds-on, hour after hour, because the mission matters. It is what this deed represented, and the lessons therein for all of us who have been remarkably moved and inspired by Muthoni. Congratulations, Truphena Muthoni. You have inspired an entire generation and made Nyeri, Kenya and Africa proud.”

Immediately after she accomplished her goal, Muthoni who hails from Mathira was wheeled into a waiting ambulance and rushed to the Nyeri County Referral Hospital for medical check-up.

She was later driven to the Kamukunji Grounds for a heroine’s reception by a jubilant crowd that was attending the final day of the Nyeri Inaugural Youth Summit.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Samuel Maina